Super Bean Burritos

from my kitchen cafe

*Note: On several occasions, I've added leftover shredded pork to the bean filling for delicious results.

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.

Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired -- or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don't come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:
Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Julianne W.

Chipotle Mayonnaise

from my sisters kitchen

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used light)

1 tbsp. minced canned chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce (found in Mexican Isle)

1/2 tsp. sugar

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

from our best bites

SALAD:4 c. chopped Romaine Lettuce
2 c. chopped grilled chicken (you could use Taco Chicken if you want)
1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, washed
1/3 c. vertically-sliced red onions
1 avocado, cubed
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 3/4 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained

DRESSING:
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 c. light sour cream
1 1/2 + tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. salt
OPTIONAL:

Tortilla Strips

Make sure all salad ingredients that need to be washed or rinsed have been. I rinse the beans and corn together; no reason not to! Heck, throw the tomatoes in while you're at it if you want!


Combine lettuce, chicken, beans, corn, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands (which you have obviously and thoroughly washed, of course! :) ). Set aside.

Mix dressing ingredients. I say to start with 1 1/2 tsp. of adobo sauce and then go from there, probably 1/4-1/2 tsp. at a time. If you're serving this for a crowd, it's probably better to err on the side of not spicy enough rather than too spicy, but if you're just making it for your family and you have taste buds of steel, have at it. You could even chop up one of the chilies and toss it in there if you're feeling super-brave. Then taste the dressing and you'll know what heaven tastes like. Set dressing aside.

If you're making tortilla strips, fry those puppies up now. I didn't make them here because I'm trying my darndest not to be naughty nutritionally, but if I make this salad for some kind of festivity, I always make the tortilla strips. Allow them to cool.

When you're ready to serve, add avocado, tortilla strips, and dressing. Gently combine and serve.

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

Recipe from Our Best Bites

8 oz. (1/2 bag) of baby spinach
1/2-1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion
1 large avocado, cubed
8 oz. mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded
1 12-oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained
Poppy Seed Dressing, to taste
Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately. If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the greens wilt.

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad

from our best bites

8 oz Linguine Fini (or regular linguine)
4 C shredded greens: any combo of napa cabbage, romaine lettuce or even spinach
2 C thinly sliced purple cabbage
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/2 medium cucumber, halved and sliced
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
3 C diced grilled chicken
honey roasted peanuts (about 1/2 cup)

Thai Peanut Salad Dressing (save some time and make this part ahead!)

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Add a spoonful of salt and then add your pasta. While pasta is cooking, start chopping those veggies. You can play around with the leafy greens. I like to use both napa cabbage and romaine lettuce. If you're eating this right away lettuce works great, and spinach is even good in there. However, if you're taking it to a picnic, or serving it on a buffet or anything like that where it will sit a while, I recommend going heavy on the cabbage because it will stay nice and crunchy for ya.

As soon as your pasta is done drain it and run some cold water over it until it's cool. If you're not going to use it right away, add a drizzle of the salad dressing and stir to coat. This will prevent the noodles from getting all clumpy. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

When you're ready to assemble the salad, place noodles, veggies, and chicken in a large bowl.


Pour the Thai Peanut Dressing over everything, stirring as you go until you have enough to coat. I use it all!

Thai Peanut Salad Dressing

1/2 C peanut butter
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 1/2 t sesame oil
1 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 T minced ginger
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro (stems and all)
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 t kosher salt*
2-3 t sriracha chili sauce*
2-4 T water*


*The need for salt may differ depending on the brand of PB you use. Taste first and then add.
*I use 3 t Sriaracha, but you may want more or less depending on your preference of heat levels. Again, taste first and then add.
*Lastly, the addition of the water is purely for consistency which again, depends on the PB brand you use. Add water until you get the consistency you want, or leave it out completely.

Place everything in a blender and mix until smooth. Makes about 2 cups.

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

from our best bites

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (really, that's pretty optional; it all goes in the blender)
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil



In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Recipe by Our Best Bites

*note that all spices/herbs listed below are dried. If substituting fresh, use the rules 1 part dry = 3 parts fresh.

1C mayo
2/3 C buttermilk
1/4 t white vinegar
1 t parsley
1/8 t dill
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1 1/2 t dried chives
1/8 t black pepper
1/4 t seasoned salt
1/8 t dry mustard

Combine mayo and buttermilk


And whisk together until it's lump-free. Add in vinegar and all spices.


Stir, stir, stir...


For best results, make ahead of time and store in the fridge so the dry herbs have time to let all their yummy flavors out.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Recipe from Our Best Bites

1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1 green onion, ends removed (both the "hairy" end and where the green part starts to get floppy)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream and is fully incorporated into the dressing.

Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds. Serve over leafy greens.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

from your homebased mom
and
ksra's kitchen creations

5 chicken breasts (I only used 4 large ones)

1/2 cup salsa

1 Tbsp cumin

1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste)

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.

If you want it spicer rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

could serve with:Cilantro Salad Dressing

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2- 1/3 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1/2 – 1 small jalapeno (remove seed)

1 cup mayo

1 tsp. lime juice

1-2 tomatillos (remove outer papery skin)

1 garlic clove

Blend all ingredients in blender!

Mexican Rice

from your homebased mom
and
Ann Bowman

2 Tbsp Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 C long grain white rice
2 C chicken broth

1 small can tomato juice
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the rice. Stir frequently and slightly brown the rice (more like, make it tan) over a medium high heat. Add the chicken broth. Add the tomato juice. Add some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer and cover tightly with a lid. (I ’stir’ the mixture several times while it’s cooking by just shaking/moving the skillet back and forth so that I don’t take the lid off.) Simmer/cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave mixture alone with the lid on it for another 10-15 minutes or so.

Chicken Spiedie Sandwiches

1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons grated zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/2 pounds
6 6-inch sub rolls, slit partially open lengthwise

Combine oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons oil mixture to separate bowl and whisk in mayonnaise, vinegar, and lemon juice; refrigerate. Sauce can be refrigerated, covered for 2 days.

Prick chicken breasts all over with fork, cut into 1 1/4 inch chunks, and transfer to bowl with remaining oil mixture. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers, about 5 pieces, per skewer. You can use either metal or wood skewers, but if you are using wood, soak them in water for 15-20 minutes before using on an outdoor grill to avoid burning. I used wood skewers on my indoor grill pan without soaking and it worked just fine. Grill chicken until browned and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice. You can use an outdoor grill (either gas or charcoal), your oven broiler or an indoor grill pan to do the job. Transfer the chicken to sub rolls or bread, remove skewers, and drizzle with mayonnaise mixture.

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe (www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)/adapted from Cook's Country
* I TRIED THE SKEWERS ON THE GRILL PAN, BUT WANTED MORE CHICKEN SURFACE ON THE GRILL, SO I PULLED THEM OFF AND I LIKED IT BETTER THAT WAY.
* THEY WERE WONDERFUL- I PUT LETTUCE,ONION,TOMATO,AND AVOCADO ON MINE YUMMY!

Fresh Tomato and Herb Soup

from your homebased mom

1/4 C olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 shallots, minced

4 C of vine-ripened tomatoes, diced

1/4 C chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

4 C tomato juice

1/4 C chopped fresh basil

1/2 C sliced green onions

1/2 C cream

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and shallots. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes or until the shallots are tender and opaque. Stir in the diced tomatoes, parsley and tomato juice. Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally Add the basil and green onions, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender (let it cool first to avoid an explosion!)
Pour the pureed soup back into the pan. Add the heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chicken-Cashew Stir Fry

From Cooking Light Magazine
posted by sallie of my sisters kitchen



Ingredients
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons oyster sauce (such as Kame)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 cup chopped green onions, divided
1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 cup (3 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
1/2 cup diagonally sliced carrot
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup snow peas
1 pound skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup canned pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1/3 cup cashews
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 cups hot cooked long-grain rice




Preparation
Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a stir-fry pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup green onions and onion wedges; stir-fry 1 minute. Add bell pepper and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and peas; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove vegetable mixture from pan. Keep warm.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 5 minutes. Add broth mixture, vegetable mixture, pineapple, cashews, and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until thick. Stir in 1/2 cup green onions. Serve with rice. Serves 6.

Asian Wonton Salad

Posted on our best bites

Sweet Sesame Dressing
Recipe from Helen Klann

2/3 C rice vinegar
1 C canola oil
2 Tbs sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 C sugar
4 Tbs sesame seeds

Place all ingredients into a quart jar (or something equivalent) and shake vigorously. If desired, make ahead of time and store in the fridge.

Asian Wonton Salad

2 heads romaine lettuce
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, sliced
1 package wontons
vegetable oil for frying

Sweet Sesame Dressing

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a pot on the stove top. Use pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut wontons into thirds (3 strips). You may not need the entire package, depending on how much salad you're making. I usually use about half of the wonton wrappers. You'll want the oil at about 375 degrees. Test by dipping a wonton in and seeing if it bubbles up quickly. Fry wontons a few at a time and set on paper towels to dry. These can be made ahead of time and kept in an air tight container.

Tear clean lettuce into chunks and place in a large salad bowl. Top with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and red onion. Add shredded chicken and top with Sweet Sesame Dressing. Toss salad together. Once everything is well coated, add wonton strips and gently toss to combine.